


Fantasia

by DontWearItOut



Category: Shadowrun, Shadowrun: Hong Kong
Genre: Action, Canon Divergent, Cringe, Death, Funny, Gen, Killing, Minor Violence, Overexaggeration, Parody, Power Fantasy, Satire, Spoilers, slightly AU
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-01-20
Updated: 2021-03-03
Packaged: 2021-03-13 16:35:21
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 6,068
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28781340
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/DontWearItOut/pseuds/DontWearItOut
Summary: Is0bel escapes into the Matrix to re-write how her runs go. Hilarity ensues.Update:Chapter 1 has been revised and rewritten.
Comments: 6
Kudos: 2





	1. Deckcon 2056

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> What if Is0bel's personal run went exactly how she thought it would? Is0bel rewrites how the run went, despite none of it going according to plan.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> First time writing fanfic, so feedback is totally appreciated!

Is0bel hated how the last run went.

Between going loud, having to wear a wet catering uniform AND not even getting to kick Rhombus's ass the entire thing was a complete shitshow.

Luckily, there was hope.

The entire crew bar Gobbet had left on another mission soon after they returned, and her lovely dumpster diver of a roommate was gone, probably stuffing her face in whatever bio-hazard restaurant of the week she wanted to try. It bought her atleast a few hours of alone time.

The Octopus shined across the room from her, Is0bel's dual colored eyes gazing upon it with anticipation. With not a moment of hesitation, the dwarf ran over and jacked in, preparing to log in to the latest craze on the Matrix. Recently a new website had been rising in popularity all over the Matrix.

Dharkives of Our Own.

A Matrix based creative writing website that allowed Deckers to create their own fanfiction in the Matrix. Normally Is0bel never bothered with writing, but this one came with a twist!

With a premium subscription fee, anyone could use memories they've experienced to write and create a immersive story, almost like a Simsense recording.

Is0bel had spared no expense when signing up, purchasing the highest tier for her delights.

.....

Arriving at Deckcon was the easy part of the mission, Is0bel had done her homework on everything needed. Her, Seattle and Gun Show made it to the back entrance as the sounds of excited Geeks and Deckers filled their ears from a distance, eager to see all the latest decks and tech at the convention. Unlike her original plan, Is0bel went to the back entrance with her teammates for a twist. The convention floor was only a few steps away as she went over the plan.

"Okay, so you know how I said I needed you to get me a uniform? Change of plans boys. I'm doing this all by myself."

Is0bel beamed with certainty and confidence at her companions having only taken them there to show off, as Gun Show and Seattle, an Ork who looked equally as forgettable stared at the stunning dwarf decker before them. She had always been so much smarter, cooler, and more attractive than the two of them combined. Their jaws dropped to the floor almost at Is0bel's words, a whole mission by herself? Unbelievable!

"Wow Is0bel, your so courageous compared to us! How could we ever compare to you!"

Seattle, the inferior decker of the team fanboyed over Is0bel, as he even lowered his head in order to allow her to pat him on it. "Yeah, I know. I know." She responded, as Duncan scoffed. It was in his nature and destiny to always be difficult. Duncan cast a skeptical look at her, it was his destiny to always be difficult and a asshole to members of the team after all. "Yeah okay Is0bel. There's no way you can do this", he sneered comically, as Is0bel looked him dead in the eye, causing Duncan Wu, the tall, masculine figure of a man to cower into a whimper, almost silent from her.

"Watch and learn Gun Show."

The daggers that were her eyes pierced into his ego and made him cowtow, as Is0bel brushed them off and moved to the kitchen. There was no way she was gonna let them ruin her self fan-fiction too. Especially when they made her wear a wet uniform.

Fuck you Seattle.

She effortlessly waltzed into the kitchen, the scent of clams hitting her senses immediately as the kitchen was filled with several well-dressed waiters attempting to carry plates out to the convention floor. Obscenities being yelled by a tall asian male, who was clearly the head chef. Frustration and disappointment danced across his facial expressions as the man spoke. "Move, I want those clams out immediately! We're already behind schedule!"

Words flew out like the crack of a whip as panicked waiters carried catering dishes out to the main convention floor, fearing the wrath of their overseer. Before any other words could escape his lips, a light tug was felt on his pant leg. "Hey what the-"

Is0bel tugged at his pant leg like a lost child, flashing the most perfectly sappy puppy dog eyes in the world at him as the dwarf's eyes met his. "Hi sir.... I'm so sorry I'm late for work! The bus was late and!" Looking on the verge of tears as she deployed her ruse like a matrix program, aiming to slice through the chefs cold exterior like a firewall seamlessly.

Anger turned into sympathy as he bit the bait.

"You don't need to explain yourself! Here! Just go in and get your uniform, in fact take a few minute break before you even start your shift!"

Unlocking the back door where the uniforms were stored, he bought the entire act. With a quick snag of a uniform her size, Izz ran over to the bathroom in order to change right into it and get started with her totally infallible plan to humiliate Rhombus AND get her memories back in one fell swoop.

....

Are catering uniforms always this uncomfortable?

It felt so clingy and tight, thank fuck she only needed this for a few more minutes!

Izz navigated the middle of the convention floor, dodging socially awkward deckers and weirdos alike in a attempt to find a Matrix Jackpoint to get Rhombus's location. The sounds of the convention floor were filled with Deckers geeking out over the latest tech and the occasional weirdo, as a loud arguement invaded her ears.

"Ackshtually, Fuchi is the hottest craze on the deck market."

A troll spoke, asserting dominance over his much smaller and frail human companion. As if building up a combo attack in Tales From The Street:Shadowrunner Edition.

" _Only._ "

With dramatic pause the troll continued, towering as the anxiety of his victim went through the roof. Stomping forward like a elephant.

"Would a complete drekhead ever say otherwise, unless your some kind of..."

The troll paused momentarily, as the much smaller in front of him attempted to reason with him, arguing otherwise.

"No no man! You got it all wrong! Novatech's gonna take over the market with their new deck!"

Foolishly, he tried to convince the geek otherwise but there was no hope as the troll decker simply sneered before continuing. "Yeah, your just another...." As he leered, and screamed in his face, unleashing his special decker rage in the form of spit and distaste.

" **FANBOY!!!!!!!!!!** "

The roar echoed through the entire convention floor, a growing audience stared with rapt attention upon the scene, the troll looking much more like a ogre as the human cowered in fear on the con floor. Showing a look of satisfaction, the offender walked off.

Silly deckers were back at it again, fighting like rabid dogs over the latest brands to follow. The dwarf chuckled to herself with a sense of superiority, clearly her DIY cyberdeck was so much better than anything a corp could design. These fools would endlessly dump a truckload of nuyen to get their hands on the latest deck, while bricking it 2 weeks later on a milk run.

Of course she didn't have the time to correct the two numbnuts bickering and moaning like a married couple, complete with reactions from the ever-expanding audience on the main floor. Nimbly navigating her way through the geeks, Is0bel managed to slip by security not even giving her a second glance and make her way to the third floor, before locating a jackpoint in one of the offices.

Once she made it in, the decker effortlessly jacked into the matrix to obtain the data required to snag Rhombus all by herself.

Within seconds the data was in her hands, with one little detail she didn't account for.

Rhombus was a VIP.

Rhombus was a FUCKING VIP.

The rage on Is0bels face was clear, to nobody but herself of course as the dwarf threw a minor tantrum in private, almost foaming at the mouth while clenching her digital fists. Why the fuck was Rhombus a VIP instead of her, she was so much of a better decker than he was but no! No! Fucking RHOMBUS was the one who had the damn VIP stat-

Her tantrum is interrupted as security bursts in like a trideo classic, guns trained on her head as they bark orders at her. "Hey! Get the fuck out of that jackpoint, before I jack you into the ground!" With a swift motion she doesn't comply, instead jacking out and twirling through the air upside down, becoming almost impossible to aim at while whipping out her pistol, preforming perfect aerodynamics as she adjusted her aim mid-air, two shots echoing out from her pistol in one smooth and totally boss motion.

Two security guards became two bodies in meatspace in a instant. Even if they had manged to react, Gun Show's poor accuracy on every mission had proven there was nothing to fear from rent-a-cops. Especially corrupt ones that roleplayed.

Conveniently, no alarms were triggered from the quick brandish of her weapon as she stuck her landing with a 10/10. Without any hesitation Is0bel ran over to the elevator and slammed the button for the ground floor to make it to Rhombus. Easily making her way to the ground floor, and taking another elevator to get up to the VIP room floor.

Zooming with excitement and evil thoughts about what she would do to Rhombus, Is0bel made her way to his exact room before kicking down the door like a badass Femme Fatale, just like she had rehearsed in her dreams.

Rhombus cowered in the back of his VIP room, fear showing as his hands twitched, his eyes popped out of his skull, and he began to stutter as Is0bel got closer. "P-Please! Don't kill me! Y-your here for the memories right!? Right!?!?"

Rhombus was aghast with fear, on the verge of pissing his pants as Is0bel smirked before holstering her gun.

She was so much more confident, cool and brave compared to her usual self. "Yeah Rhombus, I'm here for the memories and also this!"

A quick punch between his legs gave the male decker a one way trip to the floor, clutching his shattered manhood. "Augh! Please! You don't have to do this!"

But it was no use, she was more than eager to enact revenge for all the tiny reasons she didn't like him. The entire point of this mission was to leave him in tears AND get her memories to boot. A few more kicks came upon him while he was down on the ground at Is0bel's mercy. "Just take it! Take the key Is-"

**WHAM!**

Is0bels boot crashed right into Rhombus's face, bruising his cheek and turning him over.

Cowering in fear and crawling away, his PDA was immediately pulled out, sending the encryption key to Is0bels device.

"Okay Okay! There! Just! Stop!!!"

Rhombus begged for mercy before his cruel dwarf tormentor, but it would not be enough to satisfy her, there was but one thing left she wanted from him. One last act of humiliation for how much he disrespected her.

"No Rhombus, I'm not stopping until you do one last thing."

Smugly, the dwarf brought her PDA right in front of Rhombus's face as he cringed in horror at what she was showing him, true humiliation for any male decker in the fifth world to be caught with.

A LonelyFans subscription page.

"No! I won't! Please Is0bel, anything but that!"

Rhombus begged her, there would be no greater shame than to forever be called a simp on shadowlands for subscribing to a LonelyFans, let alone Is0bel's of all people.

It was too late however, as she pulled his hand onto her pda and made him sign up. It was over, his reputation was ruined with just one stroke.

"No."

Writhing in shame as the male decker lied back, defeated at the idea of having signed up for a LonelyFans and feeling tainted, he knew it was over for him.

There was no coming back from this.

Is0bel stood over Rhombus's defeated ego, victorious. Nothing could ruin this moment now, as she easily left and made her way back down to the entrance, clearly successful before Seattle and Gun Show. Their eyes threatening to pop out of their skull from amazement. "Wow Is0bel, is there anything you can't do!!" Seattle expressed his awe, as Duncan was left awkwardly staring at the floor, meek and his ego defeated. Is0bel eagerly rubbed it in his face as she walked up to him.

"I believe you had something to say Gun Show?" 

"I-" are the only words Duncan starts to mutter as he looks defeated, and utterly unsure of what to say, Seattle wags a finger at him before placing a hand on his shoulder. "Looks like someone owes our FAVORITE decker a APOLOGY." Is0bel flashes the most devilish grin yet, as Duncan falls to his knees, defeated and dejected before her. "Okay Is0bel. I was wrong, your so much better than me. I'm just a asshole and think I'm better than everyone." Seattle, like the perfect fanboy he is flashes a thumbs up and a wink at Is0bel as the party turns to leave and go home. 

Is0bel finished wrapping up her story, before clicking the private save button and preparing to jack out of the matrix. This was gonna be a good one to look back on.

....

Is0bel jacked out from the Matrix, satisfied at her handiwork before a snicker behind her interrupted the moment.

"Wow Izz! I have to give it to ya! Your really good at this!"

Is0bel's body slowly turned to face her sole viewer, heart racing with anxiety and frustration.

There sat Gobbet, popcorn in hand and eagerly enjoying the "show" Is0bel put on. Visible on the Octopus's screen the entire time.

"Fuck."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I wanted to play around with the idea of deckers writing their own fanfiction in the Matrix! This whole series will be pure satire. Also taking prompts/suggestions in the comments.


	2. Misdirection

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Gobbet coerces Is0bel into writing pure, unadulterated cringe. Is0bel pays the price.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Much shorter chapter this time! There will be a chapter for most missions in the game.
> 
> Warning this chapter has Implied Smut and NonCon! Only a tiny bit of implied sexual content is in this chapter. There won't be much of that in this story.

Is0bel was at Gobbet's mercy.

No ifs or buts, she would only keep her writing a secret if she did this one request.

The problem was with what she wanted.

"Ooh Ooh! Now make them kiss!"

Gobbet had been making Is0bel write a living nightmare, a monster of a fanfiction. This one was about the latest heist they pulled on Ares, but with a romantic twist between Gun Show and Racter. Why did Gobbet want this specifically? The dwarf could never tell what went on in that madcap brain of hers. She had mixed feelings about it, on one hand she couldn't deny it was a _tiny_ bit funny. On the other hand it was Gobbet of all people feeding her ideas, the same person who loved every corny little joke and twist with absolutely no taste.

Is0bel winced as she proceeded to butcher the english language, describing everything with fanciful empty words according to Gobbet's specifications.

.....

"Fuck, what do we do?"

Gun Show had gotten split off with Racter from the rest of the team, lost, confused, and afraid as he turned from corridor to corridor in a panic.

"The prototype is this way my friend. Surely you should know by now to follow my directions." Racter chimed as he indicated to follow.

"No Racter, I'm stubborn, and a asshole. I'm not supposed to listen to a damn word that comes out of your mouth. In fact, I'm gonna be as difficult as possible with you!" Duncan whined back at him, causing a curious look to form in Racter's eyes.

"Oh? Perhaps we should do something about that!" Racter coldly stared into Gun Show's goggle covered orbs, unflinching and incredibly serious. Causing him to blush and wince from the daring look.

"W-What?" He replied, blushing badly as his cheeks turned beet red. "What are you gonna do Racter? Stay away from me!"

Duncan Wu's powerful, masculine figure cowered in frustration before the skinnier rigger in front of him. Racter, like a lion gazing upon it's prey advanced upon him, hunger in his eyes as Duncan Wu found himself stepping back slowly, trapped by Racter and with the rest of their team conveniently preoccupied as his back pressed against the wall. "I don't know what the fuck your gonna do but-"

Racter whipped out his patented drone B&R Gun, clicking it into overclock as he forcefully turned Duncan around. "Listen Gun Show, we can't have you acting up like this. I'm gonna have to re-calibrate you just right."

With a glint in his eye, Racter shoved his gun between his-

...

"Gobbet! I'm not thinking about that!"

The Dwarf decker protested from The Octopus's screen, unable to continue putting this into reality. It was bad enough Gobbet wanted a corny romance, but imagining Racter and Gun Show getting it on mid mission was a image she didn't need in her life.

EVER.

"Oh come on Is0, don't be such a baby about it. You need to finish my masterpiece, just make him fuck Gun Show already!", her voice rose in volume as the words came out, accidentally yelling the last portion.

Stomping could be heard below the deck moving upward towards the ladder up to Is0bel and Gobbet's rooms as it took a moment for them to register who was coming.

Fuck.

"Shit shit shit! See what you did Izz! Hide it!", Gobbet like a frantic rat squeaked at her author, Madness and Folly chattering off their caretakers anxiety and moving across her shoulders.

Is0bel had utterly tuned out Gobbet as she began access the delete prompt before slamming down on it. There was no way this could get out, nobody on the team could dare to know about what hare-brained ideas Gobbet had coerced her to write.

This was a secret the pair took to their graves.

Quickly, she jacks out of the matrix and with what little poise she has attempts to look casual before Gobbet. There isn't much time before the wild animal known as Gun Show storms to their floor, giving off a palpable aura of aggression as he surveys the scene before him. Almost buying into the facade Gobbet and Is0bel attempted to give off, his eyes falling upon Gobbet.

"Hey, did you say something about me getting..."

Duncan's eyes trailed to The Octopus's screen as he dropped the sentence midway, Gobbet quickly rushing to cut him off. "No! No, you totally misheard that Gun show. Isn't that right Izz?" Gobbet eyes turned to Is0bel, before looking at the screen aghast.

"Yep, uhuh, totally." Is0bel was about to continue, until she saw both Gun Show and Gobbet's eyes captured by The Octopus's screen, her heart threatened to pound out of her chest in fear as Is0bel slowly turned around to check the screen before her.

In perfect, pristine detail laid the image of Racter pressing Gun Show against a corporate wall, the rigger's drone repair gun pressed against a very intimate part of him as Duncan's face on screen was a mix of pleasure, fear, and desire. All captured perfectly in Dharkives of Our Own, in perfect detail for the public to see.

Is0bel had hit the publish button.

And it already had 5 likes.

Fear, frustration, and confusion played across Duncan Wu's face as he stared at the screen, unsure of what to say from it.

Now they were truly fucked.

"I-", was the closest to a word Is0bel was able to get out before Gun Show exploded. "What in the fuck made you do this!? What, what are you. What the fuck! Why do I look like that! Why am I making that face!", Duncan pointed aggressively at the screen, his face turning slightly red out of embarrassment and perhaps something else. "Look at it! What. Why is he doing that. Why is he doing that to me!", He paused for a moment, before getting closer to the screen and aggressively pointing at where Racter aimed his gun in the snapshot.

"Why is he aiming his gun up there Is0bel! Why! Why would you do this! I thought you Deckers were weird enough as it is, but now you make **THIS** shit?" Is0bel was frozen like a deer in headlights, staring up at Duncan's imposing and now raging figure looking down at her.

"Be...cause he's giving you a tuning! It was a emergency!"

Gobbet flashed the cheesiest, widest and most innocent smile as she threw the sentence off at Duncan, Is0bel in the heat of the moment forcing herself to do the same as she feared his reaction. Doing so was far more painful than the horror she had created on her screen.

With a face of absolute confusion, befuddlement and cringe Gun Show resigned himself from pushing any further and began to go back down. "Goddamn deckers.", he muttered as he left.

A chime broke the silence that came as Is0bel began to calm down, a notification. Someone had already commented on it to boot.

"This is so hot! When's the next part?" posted by Xx_ShippingInTheShadows_xX

This was horrible, Gobbet's insidious plot had led to this completely corny pile of fanfiction being linked to her name for perhaps forever.

"See Izz? I knew you had it in you!"

Is0bel could only roll her eyes at what she'd gotten herself into.


	3. Mistakes

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Is0bel "corrects" all the mistakes Seattle and Duncan made on their run on Whampoa.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter in particular contains Duncan centric jabs, slightly more ego than usual, and Is0bel projecting alot. As well as slight 4th wall breaking for a text joke. Finally got around to updating this fic!

Absolute disaster has struck Is0bel.

Within minutes, several likes and comments had reached her previous "friend" inspired fiction, causing her to become bombarded with requests to write the next part. There was no way she could do it, continuing the abomination Gobbet had laid out for her would only make this worse. Duncan had kept very quiet about the horrors she revealed to him that day, being unable to look at her the same way. 

She sighs, jacking into the matrix. It was time for her to write a totally more original work that didn't involving thinking about Gun Show and Racter getting undressed mid mission.

....

Returning to Whampoa Gardens was the last thing Is0bel thought she would ever do, coming back to the place she left gave her a bitter taste in her mouth as the crew departed from the MTR, stepping out into streets. Is0bel looks around, sniffing the air as if recognizing a terrible, but familiar odor. 

"This place gives me a certain kind of feeling. Saudaude, thats the feeling this place gives me. I used to think the world of it, until I realized everyone here is in it for themselves."

Seattle, Gobbet, and Gun Show, her latest teammates stood around her, in awe at the decker's use of a word their feeble minds could not comprehend. Jaws dropping at Is0bel's unfathomable wisdom. 

"Wow Is0bel, your so much smarter than me, is there anything you don't know!?" Seattle, A tall ork decker and the freshly declared team leader stared in awe at her while his brother attempted to sound relevant. "Alright, apparently the Whampoans are in that big boat at the end of the-"

Is0bel cut off Duncan with a prompt sssh, speaking over him immediately. "Okay, the Whampoans are situated in that boat over by the end of the street. Follow me."

Duncan hung his head low, defeated in merely the first couple of seconds of the run as the team obediently followed Is0bel to meet with the Whampoan Elders to solve the mystery of who was murdering them. A crowd was currently gathered outside of one of the local buildings as they walked by regarding a recent death. A few of the bystanders happened to notice Is0bel, immediately craning their heads to look at her with as much exaggeration as possible. Soon the whole crowd no longer gave a fuck about what's his face's death. Instead, they were now mesmerized by only the most novahott decker to come out of Whampoa returning, Is0bel.

"Oh shit, it's her!"

The socially awkward deckers began to mutter amongst each other, passing glances as Seattle opened his mouth in shock. "Wow Is0bel, you sure seem to have some fans here! You never told any of us how much they like you." He is amazed incredibly by Is0bels popularity, the awkwardness of the deckers prevents them from getting closer, as they simply mutter in excitement about Is0bel.

She sighs, staring at Seattle for a moment that indicates eloquently to be quiet. Her fan boy of a team leader gets the memo, clamming himself up immediately. Eventually, they made it to the Whampoan elders, who gasped loudly and dramatically seeing Is0bel before them. They were a collective of deckers and techheads that loved to pretend that they had any real wisdom to be leading a community. One of them starts to speak, a orkish woman cluttered with digital screens and speakers all over her, no younger than 40 as she awkwardly fidgets with her fingers before the party.

"Welcome! Welcome to the Whampoa!" She says, attempting to not notice Is0bel, but soon her eyes look down at her as she attempts to speak, but immediately finds herself surrendering on hand and knee, grovelling before the party. 

"Oh Is0bel, please! S-Save us!" She cries out, preparing to kiss Is0bel's very feet as the entire party stares in awe. Soon, the rest of the Whampoan Elders follow suit, a male elf with gizmo's all over him, and a cybered out Cantonese human profoundly crying out as they prostrate themselves before the decker. "Please Is0bel, We need you, your the most novahott decker to ever come out of Whampoa!!!" 

Another one, the elf speaks out while profusely sobbing before her. "Y-yes! Someone's been murdering us Is0bel, we need you to solve this. Please, Please!!!!!" The elder even goes so far as to kiss Is0bel's shoes in an act of complete submission.

She rolls her eyes, as she responds calmly to the grovelling. "That's what I'm here for."

Almost right on cue, the elders proceed to stand up as if crying for joy, staring before a divine decking goddess in front of them. They all kneel before her, as if about to confess their sins and how wrong they were. "Oh thank you, thank you Is0bel! The latest murder was in Elder Tong's store, there should be some clues in there. You can't miss it, everyones gathered right outside." Immediately, she leads the party out as they walk over to where the crowd was gathering to investigate. As the crowd disperses very conveniently to let them pass, in front of the door is Porter Lam, a deputy for the Whampoans. 

His story is irrelevant, just as the words he tries to say are ignored, immediately allowing Is0bel and co into the building to preform their investigation.

Tong's building is a mess of blood, his body reduced to merely a few thin strings of flesh held together by the cybernetics inside of him. Is0bel surveys the scene cooly, noting every significant detail about the crime scene at a record pace. Meanwhile, Duncan is a mess, barely able to keep his lunch in as he can't even lift his eyes up. "Oh god, this is so fucked up you guys, they didn't train me for this at LONE STAR" He says, emphasizing Lone Star heavily for good measure, did he mention he used to work for Lone Star? He proceeds to dramatically hyperventilate, unable to keep his cool.

Seattle comforts his brother, as Duncan starts bawling into his shoulder. "There there Duncan, why don't we leave this to the real professional." He says, while Duncan only continues to bawl, confused and unaware. "But who? There's nobody here better than me-" It only dawns on him then.

Is0bel walks over to Tong's body, looking at it with absolute precision. In mere seconds she has already gleamed all the details possible from his body, as Seattle and Gobbet watch with eagerness in their eyes.

"Tong was murdered with precision, he wasn't able to react at all when killed, and there is a slash mark in the back of his neck. Tong was killed by a trained professional." Is0bel casually says, expressing no emotion as Seattle looks on, very impressed. However, before anyone can comment Duncan immediately stamps forward in an attempt to make himself relevant again. "Now hold on little miss WHAMPOA, this is a job for a trained officer like me. Watch as a real professional gets to work." Duncan whips out a cotton swab and a paper baggie, attempting to swab Tong's body for a DNA sample, seemingly triumphant in seconds as he deposits the cotton swab into it. "Ha, see? I told you, now we'll catch the killer eas-"

"How are you gonna get that tested Gun Show? We're shadowrunners. You didn't even do it right." She says confidently, as the party stares amused. "I-Well-I-uh" Duncan proceeds to stammer rapidly, as all of his confidence disappears into the wind, before sulking back into irrelevance. Is0bel quickly brushes him off as she goes to investigate the bloodstains on the wall. "Hm. Looks like we're dealing with a dud, this was placed here intentionally." She proceeds to elaborately show the party how it was placed on the wall, as Duncan fumes internally from how much better she is than him. But like a good boy, he keeps his mouth shut.

Is0bel quickly assesses the rest of the scene, deducing how Tong just may have been murdered as she steps out with the group. Easily leading them forward before spotting another local, it is as this point Seattle has basically relinquished leadership to her superior mind. Like Porter Lam, this person's backstory is indeed long, and very unnecessary.

The local, a portly Caucasian Ork greets the party, before Duncan feels the need to re-assert himself. In a attempt to achieve dominance amongst the pack he proceeds to roughly go up to the guy, gripping him by his chest as everyone stares aghast. "Listen here buddy, tell us who's killing the Whampoan elders, or else!" Briskly, Duncan proceeds to shake him down for the information as roughly as possible.

Is0bel proceeds to casually tap at Duncan's leg, making him immediately swivel his head over to her and stand down. "Sorry Gun Show, but your out of line. Let me handle this."

Immediately on command, he lets go of the guy and distances himself, as in mere seconds Is0bel extracts valuable information from him with the party watching from a distance. Walking back, everyone stares at her with trepidation. Seattle quickly coming in with a complaint of his own. "Ugh Is0bel" he said, face clearly exhausted from all the dialogue he had to put up with. "Please, tell me it's over." The crew couldn't take much more of this, having to actually use their brain cells had been too hard on them. Thankfully, Is0bel was there to think for them. "There there." Is0bel said, raising her hand to pet Seattle on his head as the decker bent down for it.

"It's a good thing your here Is0bel, atleast somebody knows what their doing." Seattle proceeds to glare at Duncan, and so does the entire party as he sulks in shame before Is0bel motions for them to follow after her. Under her expertise, the party would easily find the killer. 

....

After two shoot-outs, one questioning session, and half of Duncan Wu's trademark lashing out at yet another innocent civilian who's backstory everyone would like to forget, the party had finally cornered their suspect in a rather dreary storage room, the suspect having taken refuge there. However, the twists didn't stop there, as their killer turned out to be none other than a ravenous ghoul!

The party was tense and unsure of what to do, even more so when the dreaded ghoul spoke!

"I am hideous, ugly, and should be shot. Kill me now."

The ghoul calmly said, surprisingly self aware of everything Is0bel had thought of him as he stood unusually clad in samurai armor, holding a blade of his own. Sure, he may have his reasons for this, and perhaps a compelling and probably justified reason behind even murdering the Whampoan elders who were indeed assholes. Though, did Is0bel care about his backstory, one of many irrelevant ones?

Nope.

Is0bel's weapon was trained on him, ready to pull the trigger. Unlike literally everybody with her, the decker effortlessly kept her cool in the situation. Duncan was a hyperventilating mess, Seattle was shocked and in awe at a talking ghoul, and Gobbet well, was Gobbet.

"Oh god, Oh fuck, Oh god Oh fuck! Shoot it! Shoot the ghoul!" Duncan cried out! Cowering behind Seattle, as Gobbet utterly did not pay attention to what was going on. Seattle proceeded to stop Is0bel before she could shoot, amazed by the walking talking Ghoul as if he were a live action figure.

"Now hold on Is0bel." He says, moving slightly closer to the ghoul samurai. "Can we keep him? Pretty Please!? He's so cool! And he comes with his own sword! His own fucking sword!!!" Seattle had given up all hopes of professionalism, fanboying over how badass the ghoul was dressed. "He's just like in my japanese trid animes, cmon!!! I'll take good care of him Is0bel!" She rolled her eyes at their supposed team leader's fixation to adopt the ghoul. Until Duncan protests even more.

"No! Get that thing away from me! It's bad enough I have to be with you lowly shadow-runners, but a ghoul!?" Duncan cried out again, not daring to peek out from behind his brother. As a cruel idea dawns in her head.

"You know what. Yeah Seattle, let's take the ghoul with us. The elders will just have to deal with it." 

Duncan immediately falls to the ground, defeated as the ghoul is relieved to not be shot. "No." He says in a low voice, at a loss as the party proceeds to embrace the ghoul almost. "Ooh, we can call him Nibbles!" Gobbet chimes in, as Seattle and Gobbet now fawn over the groups new pet ghoul. "You know what Gobbet, that's the best name ever!" Seattle approves of the name, as he and Gobbet preoccupy themselves with Nibbles. The party now prepares to go back to the elders, ghoul in tow to confront them. 

....

"Wow Nibbles, and your team tried to kill you!? Your so cool!"

Seattle and Gobbet had been eagerly listening to "Nibbles" tell his long and entertaining backstory to the two, much to the chagrin of Duncan, they had even produced a leash with which to walk him. Seattle eagerly gripped at it while the two fawned over "Nibbles" very cool and dramatic backstory, Is0bel leading the group back to the Whampoan Elders. As they descended down to where the elders resided, they were found standing around with Porter Lam, doing absolutely nothing useful as their jaws drop upon seeing Is0bel and the ghoul they wanted gone together.

"Oh fuck, please! Kill it! Kill it now Is0bel!!!" The female orkish elder from earlier cries out, falling down to kiss the very ground Is0bel had walked on. Which would later be established as a holy monument of the Whampoa. "We'll do anything, anything!!!" The rest of the elders are panicking, as Porter Lam, whomst Is0bel had forgotten existed until that point attempted to re-establish order. "Now calm down everyone. Why did you bring a ghoul here?"

Is0bel proceeds to effortlessly present all of the evidence the party had obtained before him. As the elders utterly surrender, and Porter Lam does not even dare question a single word coming out of her mouth. After all, this was Is0bel, only the most novahott decker to come out of Whampoa, she would never possibly lie for her own benefit. As the elders were cuffed up, Duncan finally being able to do something relevant as he helped Porter Lam put them away. The crew exited out of the Whampoa satisfied, with Seattle eagerly pulling Nibbles by his leash. "You know I've got just the room for you, you can share with Duncan!"

Is0bel wraps up her self indulgent matrix fiction, satisfied. As she proceeds to jack out, having created another successful run. With a yawn she goes to sleep, having had another amazing experience at the expense of people in her imagination. Waking up early the next morning, eager to indulge in the latest masterpiece she had written. She goes to the Octopus, and searches it, oddly being unable to find her latest work. It is only then that it dawns upon her.

She forgot to save.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Is0bel truly is in her element in Whampoa.


End file.
